These measures are a very exact size.They contain precisely a quart and a pint.

The first national system of measurement started in 1824.New, fixed imperial measurements meant that a pint in Croydon should be the same size as a pint in London.These local measures made sure of that.

Croydon Chronicle, 15 September 1855

The Chronicle reported what happened when Mary Bateman went to court for selling her customers short measures of butter:

Mary Bateman

" I have been in business 40 years, and I never had a complaint made against me; all the other inspectors used to allow me a turn, and the people expects it. I have done so for 40 years."

JW Sutherland

"Then by that you have been cheating the public for 40 years;

you must now know that the scales must be right; you will be fined five shillings and the costs nine shillings."

Mary Bateman

"But our profits are now so low that we cannot get anything out of the things, and if we are compelled to have the scales this way we shan't be able to live!!."

Getting what you paid for

The Manor of Croydon was an early type of local council. They were in charge of making sure people used correct weights and measures.

Inspectors checked that pubs and shops were not giving customers less than they had paid for. Mary Bateman's defence suggests that it was fairly common to cheat customers in this way. Her fine shows that it could be costly if you were caught.

Find Out More

To find out more about Weights and Measures
you can visit the Research Room to look at:

* Books such as"How Heavy, How Much, and How Long"by Colin R Chapman
* Local Newspapers

The Research Room is on the
lower ground floor of the Clocktower,
it is open Tuesday-Saturday
10:30am-5pm.